I think that we also have to consider the fact that when someone becomes a smoker, then it is more likely to continue to smoke even when he realizes that it was a bad decision because this has turned into a vicious thing.
So, minors, specially teenagers, often do what their friends do, it is the result of the desire of inclusion into some group. And, because of it, many minors will start smoking.
The point is: no matter what the age limit you impose to ban the smoke. There will always be people deciding to smoke, no matter how much they are advised of the health effects on them and on other people near them. BUT, you minimize the amount of people who will decide to smoke if you draw some age banning line. Many of the minors who would decide to smoke can decide to not smoke if they are allowed to do it after that they aren't under the "desire of inclusion" forces.
I am not saying the the "desire of inclusion" is the only reason that moves people to begin smoking, there's a lot of other reasons. But this is a reason that moves most of the minors to do it and it is an insignificant reason to move adults to take this decision.
Slashdot Mirror
I think that we also have to consider the fact that when someone becomes a smoker, then it is more likely to continue to smoke even when he realizes that it was a bad decision because this has turned into a vicious thing.
So, minors, specially teenagers, often do what their friends do, it is the result of the desire of inclusion into some group. And, because of it, many minors will start smoking.
The point is: no matter what the age limit you impose to ban the smoke. There will always be people deciding to smoke, no matter how much they are advised of the health effects on them and on other people near them. BUT, you minimize the amount of people who will decide to smoke if you draw some age banning line. Many of the minors who would decide to smoke can decide to not smoke if they are allowed to do it after that they aren't under the "desire of inclusion" forces.
I am not saying the the "desire of inclusion" is the only reason that moves people to begin smoking, there's a lot of other reasons. But this is a reason that moves most of the minors to do it and it is an insignificant reason to move adults to take this decision.